Bale looking forward to Super Cup

Real Madrid attacker Gareth Bale says he hopes Cardiff hosting the 2014 UEFA Super Cup will help give football an advantage over rugby in the hearts of Welsh sports fans.

The curtain-raiser to the European club season was until recently always played in Monaco, but it now tours the continent having first been moved to Prague last season. This year the Champions League holders Real Madrid and Europa League winners Sevilla will meet at the Cardiff City Stadium.

The all-La Liga fixture now has extra interest for local fans as Wales captain Bale is set to appear in his home city after he scored the vital second goal in Los Blancos' 4-1 extra-time Champions League final win against Atletico Madrid.

The former Tottenham player told UEFA.com that the game being in Cardiff was part of a general boom in Welsh football.

"I think it's massive for the city," he said. "We haven't really had anything as big as that in a long time and, yes, it's one that will obviously do wonders for the city. I think it will show that Welsh football can achieve big things.

"It's obviously a big rugby nation but Cardiff City playing in the Premier League, as well as Swansea, raised the profile of the whole of Welsh football. It's a city on the rise and hopefully it can continue to do that."

Bale, 24, said he hoped the current positivity would help more Welsh youngsters to choose football over rugby in the coming years.

"When I was a kid it was important to have role models in all parts of football, it encourages people, it encourages kids to play football and keep developing, and hopefully that will help in the future to develop younger kids and good players," he said. "It's important to have role models, especially in football.

"It's a rugby nation, but I think football has always been massive in Wales. Maybe five or ten years ago it was probably more football than rugby, but it kind of chops and changes now and again. But we need to produce a lot more players, and hopefully that can inspire more people to play football in Wales and we will hopefully get better in the future."